The most undeserving Heisman winners

12 Heisman Trophy races that wound up with the wrong winner.

By Compiled by Houston Chronicle staff

on December 3, 2012 12:00 AM

Photo: AP

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2005 Heisman winner Reggie Bush gave back his Heisman Trophy in 2010 after an NCAA investigation revealed he and his family received improper benefits. There are a few more that
folks would like to see change hands. Here are 12 nominees by AP college
football writer Ralph D. Russo. less

2005 Heisman winner Reggie Bush gave back his Heisman Trophy in 2010 after an NCAA investigation revealed he and his family received improper benefits. There are a few more that
folks would like to see change ... more

He led the Buckeyes to an undefeated season, but two sophomores for Army — Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard — finished second and third and had to wait to win their Heismans so the senior Horvath could win his. less

12. Les Horvath, QB, Ohio State, 1944

He led the Buckeyes to an undefeated season, but two sophomores for Army — Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard — finished second and third and had to wait to win their ... more

Dayne had a big year, 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns, but this was really a career achievement award for breaking the NCAA record for yards rushing. Third-place finisher Michael Vick led Virginia Tech to the national championship game and was truly the best player in the country. less

11. Ron Dayne, RB, Wisconsin, 1999

Dayne had a big year, 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns, but this was really a career achievement award for breaking the NCAA record for yards rushing. Third-place finisher ... more

Sullivan, left, and Ed Marinaro, the Cornell running back and future “Hill Street Blues” star, finished one-two in a fairly close race. Oklahoma tailback Gregg Pruitt ran for 1,665 yards, averaged 9.4 yards per carry, and scored 17 TDs, and really should have won the Heisman. less

Leinart had so many other stars at his disposal: Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett. Adrian Peterson was the runner-up that season as a freshman. Being a frosh surely didn’t help Peterson. Nor did White finishing third and pulling some of the Oklahoma vote away from Peterson. less

9. Matt Leinart, QB, Southern Cal, 2004

Leinart had so many other stars at his disposal: Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett. Adrian Peterson was the runner-up that season as a freshman. ... more

Rogers was a standout college running back and ran for 1,781 yards, but Herschel Walker was a freshman at Georgia in 1980 and just as good. He finished third in voting behind the guy who really should have won it: Pitt defensive end Hugh Green, the Ndamukong Suh of his time. less

8. George Rogers, RB, South Carolina, 1980

Rogers was a standout college running back and ran for 1,781 yards, but Herschel Walker was a freshman at Georgia in 1980 and just as good. He finished third in ... more

Good quarterback, great team. White had a huge season, but when he bombed in the BCS title game against LSU, it became very clear that Pitt receiver Larry Fitzgerald, the runner-up, or Mississippi’s Eli Manning, who finished third, should have won the award. less

7. Jason White, QB, Oklahoma, 2003

Good quarterback, great team. White had a huge season, but when he bombed in the BCS title game against LSU, it became very clear that Pitt receiver Larry Fitzgerald, the ... more

Considering the era, Huarte’s numbers were good: 2,062 yards and 16 touchdown passes for a Notre Dame team that went 9-1. But the guy who finished third, you might have heard of him: Illinois linebacker Dick Butkus. less

6. John Huarte, QB, Notre Dame, 1964

Considering the era, Huarte’s numbers were good: 2,062 yards and 16 touchdown passes for a Notre Dame team that went 9-1. But the guy who finished third, you might have ... more

Ware put up crazy numbers in the run-n-shoot (4,699 yards and 44 TD passes). And the Cougars were not afraid to run it up. The numbers overwhelmed Heisman voters and NFL scouts, but Indiana's Anthony Thompson ran for 1,793 yards and scored 25 TDs and would have been a better pick. less

5. Andre Ware, QB, Houston, 1989

Ware put up crazy numbers in the run-n-shoot (4,699 yards and 44 TD passes). And the Cougars were not afraid to run it up. The numbers overwhelmed Heisman voters and NFL scouts, ... more

Brown was a tremendous player, but he won the Heisman by being a great decoy. He had 990 yards from scrimmage and scored all of seven touchdowns, three of those on punt returns. Meanwhile, quarterback Don McPherson led Syracuse to an undefeated season and Pitt’s Craig Heyward ran for more than 1,600 yards. less

4. Tim Brown, WR, Notre Dame, 1987

Brown was a tremendous player, but he won the Heisman by being a great decoy. He had 990 yards from scrimmage and scored all of seven touchdowns, three of those on punt ... more

Good quarterbacks on great teams tend to get too much support from Heisman voters. Torretta is not the only one on this list who falls into that category, but the most glaring. He beat out Marshall Faulk, who was a one-man show at San Diego State, running for 1,630 yards and 15 touchdowns. less

3. Gino Torretta, QB, Miami, 1992

Good quarterbacks on great teams tend to get too much support from Heisman voters. Torretta is not the only one on this list who falls into that category, but the most ... more

The only two-time Heisman Trophy winner never should have won his second. Griffin’s numbers were down across the board compared to 1974 and three other tailbacks — Cal’s Chuck Muncie, USC’s Ricky Bell and Pitt’s Tony Dorsett — had better seasons. less

2. Archie Griffin, RB, Ohio State, 1975

The only two-time Heisman Trophy winner never should have won his second. Griffin’s numbers were down across the board compared to 1974 and three other tailbacks — ... more

The Notre Dame hype machine has produced a few unworthy Heisman winners but none more so than Hornung. He was a great player, but the Irish went 2-8. Any of the next four players in the voting — Johnny Majors from Tennessee, Tom McDonald and Jerry Tubbs from Oklahoma or Syracuse’s Jim Brown, who finished FIFTH — would have been more deserving. less

1. Paul Hornung, QB, Notre Dame, 1956

The Notre Dame hype machine has produced a few unworthy Heisman winners but none more so than Hornung. He was a great player, but the Irish went 2-8. Any of the next four ... more